Serving tray



Aug. 22, R (5 oss SERVING TRAY Filed Nov. 1, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 22, 1933.

R. G. ROSS SERVING TRAY Filed Nov. 1, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 if i J6 .l5 G W l I 15 16 L 2 H 12 I I I :10 8 L l l 5 i I J l l klio I {18 L .L 6 H J 6 1 Y (.1 L 9 Patented Aug. 22, was

r OFFICE" SERVING TRAY Robert Galloway Ross, CharlottaN." (3., assignor to Mac Ellis, Charlotte, N. C.

Application November 1, 1930. 7 Serial No. 492,806

5 Claims. (01. --52.)

The object of my invention is to provide an improved serving tray for delivering drinks, ice cream, sandwiches, cigars, etc. in sanitary containers; to provide novel means for holding the glasses on the tray and to prevent dust, dirt and germs from getting into the contents of the glasses while the tray is being carried across the street or up the elevators in office buildings, or elsewhere; to provide a container which will keep the carbon dioxide in the drink from flowing out of the glass and into the atmosphere;

to provide a container which will function substantially as a insulated container to keep the drinks cool; and to provide novel sandwich and cigar containers as a part of such a tray.

I attain these and other objects of my invention by the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top plan view of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of same;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view, partly in side elevation and partly in longitudinal section;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on line 6-6 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the inside of the caps of one of the holders.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in each of the several views. 7

Referring to the accompanying; drawings, I provide a tray 1 having a suitable handle 2. I provide boxes or cases by means of hinges 5 to the casings and releasably fastened by suitable fasteners 6. The boxes or cases 3 are suitably aff xed to or integral with the tray 1. I prefer to provide the rivets '7 as shown. These boxes or cases provide closed compartments in which sandwiches or cigars and cigarettes may be carried.

I provide a plurality of cylindrical holders 8, each having spiral springs 9 mounted in the bottom thereof, each of said springs having a plate 18 affixed to its upper end about the size of the bottom of the glass to be carried, and thus affording the glass a flat surface to rest upon. The plate or disc 18 is of metal. The spiral springs 9 are positioned on top of the flat springs 10, as shown, the flat springs extending across the bottom of the container and thence extending vertically in bowed form, the portions of the springs 10 crossing each other being affixed or integrally, formed, whereby the entire set of springs forms a single unit which 3 having lids 4 mounted can be readily removed to permit cleaning of the holder conveniently. The free ends of springs 10 are curved as at 12, as shown in Fig.

I also providesuitabl caps 13 adapted to-co seat over the holders 8, as shown in Fig. 4. These caps are provided with a soft rubber disc lining 14. The caps are also provided with a suitable arcuate or similar slot 15 to be engaged by the pin 16 affixed to the holder and project- 5 ing outwardly therefrom. I provide an arcuate slot as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings. In said arcuate slot the cover is lockedmore definitely at the end of the slot and cannot work loose as is possible with an L-shaped slot; which however may be used, but is not considered the equivalent of the slot shown. I also provide suitable spring clips 17 aflixed to the caps 13 and having a resilient free end adapted to engage duplicate sales slips or menu cards,

as shown in Fig. 1. I

The operation of the invention is illustrated in Fig. 4. The glass is inserted between the op: posed bowed springs 10 in the holder 8, and the cap 13 is applied, as shown in Fig. 4, and fastened in place by means of the pin 16 engaging the slotted portion 15 of the cap, thus sealing the glasses against dust and preventing spilling of their contents or escape of carbon dioxide from carbonated drinks.

It is within the contemplation of my invention to also use an oil paper disc if desired in addition to the soft rubber disc 14. The springs 10 and 9 make the device automatically adjustable for carrying either the small or the large glasses customarily used in dispensing drinks at soda fountains. It is however within the contemplation of my invention to make the springs of two different sizes, if found desirable to do so. The spring 9 and plate 18 function to keep the glass G raised sufficiently to contact at all times with the resilient disc 14 and prevent spilling of the contents of the glass.

It will be noted that the parts are easily removed for cleaning the device. The coil spring 9 rests in the bottom of the holder and'makes the device adjustable to all sizes of soda glasses.

What I claim is:

1. In a serving tray,

the combination of a tray member, means for carrying the tray, cylindrical holders for glasses aiiixed to the tray, said holders having vertically extending bowed springs and having. a bottom spring, caps releasably attachable to the holders, said caps having resilsaid holders having springs extending vertically of the holders for the major portion of the length of the holder, said springs being bowed inwardly, a central bottom spring resting on the aforesaid bowed springs to'forma unitary spring assembly, and caps releasably attachable to the holders. 1 V

ient linings to engage the tops of glasses to pre- 4. In a serving tray, the combination of a tray member, holders for glasses afiixed to the tray, said holders having springs extending vertically of the holders for the major portion of the length r of the holder, said springs being bowed inwardly,

a central bottom spring resting on the aforesaid bowed springs to form a unitary spring assembly,

.a plate afiixed to the upper end of the central bottom spring, and caps releasably attachable to the holders. Y

5. In combination with the device defined in (claim 3, the aforesaid caps havingresilient linings; to engage the tops of the glasses to prevent spilling of the contents thereof and to make an .airftightseal.

,RQBERT GALLOWAY ROSS. 

